The White House Counsel’s office has reportedly completed Hagel’s vetting process after Obama discussed the position with the former Republican Nebraska Senator on December 4, The Politico news organization reported.
Michele Flournoy, former defense undersecretary for policy, and Ashton Carter, deputy defense secretary are the other contenders for the post.
Some in the Israeli lobby have reportedly reacted with alarm to reports of Hagel’s nomination as he is known as an outspoken critic of the Zionist lobby in Washington.
“The political reality is … that the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here,” Hagel told former Mideast peace negotiator Aaron David Miller in a 2006 interview.
“I have always argued against some of the dumb things they do,” he added.
In a 2008 interview, Hagel noted that he had never signed any of the letters by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) aimed at showing support for Israel or taking stances against Israel’s enemies.